Shuttle-binder-actuating mechanism

ABSTRACT

A binder control device for fly shuttle looms including a bar member with binder-engaging fingers fixed thereon and lever means for applying and releasing pressure on the binder through said bar member in timed relation with the receiving and picking of a shuttle from the shuttle box.

United States Patent Inventors Appl. No.

Filed Patented Assignee Joseph M. Budzyna East Douglas;

Rocco H. Muociarone, Franklin, both of, Mass.

Apr. 7, 1969 July 20, 1971 North American Rockwell Corporation Pittsburgh, Pa.

SHU'lTLE-BlNDER-ACTUATING MECHANISM 1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 139/187 Int. Cl 003d 49/56 Field of Search 139/183- I 56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 332,400 l2/l885 Kesselring 139/145 2,160,749 5/1939 McCarvey 139/!87 3,0l2,586 l2/I96l Budzyna l39/l87 3,464,457 9/ l 969 Bahan 139/187 FOREIGN PATENTS 502,807 2/1920 France 139/187 Primary Examiner-James Kee Chi Attorney-John R. Bronaugh M ABSTRACT: A binder control device for fly shuttle looms including a bar member with binder-engaging fingers fixed thereon and lever means for applying and releasing pressure on the binder through said bar member in timed relation with the receiving and picking of a shuttle from the shuttle box.

PATENTEU JUL 20 IBYI SHEET 1 OF 3 INVENTOR JOSEPH MBUDZYNA BY ROCCOHMUCCIARONE ATTORNEY INVENTOR JOSEPH MBU DZYNA Y Rocco Hmucm ARON i;

am QM ATTORNEY PATENTEI] JUL20 r971 SHEET 3 [1F 3 R E OAN VI wmw C mm M. WH Em m m J R ATTORNEY SHUTTLE-BINDER-ACTUATING MECHANISM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION With the demand for an increase in speed of fly shuttle looms, it becomes necessary, in order to assure proper boxing of a shuttle, to control the pressure applied to a looms binder in timed relation to the receiving and picking of the shuttle from the shuttle box. That is to say, it is desirable to increase the binder pressure when receiving the shuttle into the shuttle box to properly arrest it and to prevent a rebound thereof. Additionally at time of picking, the binder pressure should be relieved to permit the shuttle to leave the shuttle box unrestricted.

Mechanisms have been devised to control the binder pressure upon a shuttle by means of the motion transmitted by the looms crankshaft to the lay beam via the pitman arms. Two such mechanisms are shown and described in US. Pats. Nos. 2,874,727 and 3,012,586.

These mechanisms performed their intended functions satisfactorily within the limits of the loom speeds of the looms on which they were designed to operate.

With the demand for a still further increase in the number of picks per minute of a loom, the shuttle-binder-actuating mechanism according to the instant invention was developed. This mechanism utilizes a floating-type front binder and with fewer components relative to the known mechanisms, it provides an improved and positive means for applying and relieving the pressure on a binder in timed sequence with the receiving and picking ofa shuttle from a shuttle box.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The shuttlebinder-actuating mechanism of the present invention features a'torsion bar that is supported beneath the looms shuttle box and includes a pair of spaced finger elements fixedly assembled thereon. These finger elements extend in a generally upward direction and the ends thereof are disposed so as to contact the side of the binder that forms the' forward side of the looms shuttle box. A lever member is also fixed to the torsion bar and extends to a position adjacent to the loom s crank arm or so-called p'itman. I

A depending bracket is adjustably attached to the forward side of the pitman and supports a follower member at its lower end. This follower member is positioned so as to maintain contact with the end of the lever, which extendsfrom the-torsion bar, and as the pitman performs its intended functionsaid follower is caused to pivot the lever downwardly to apply a torsional twist to the torsion bar. As the follower rises the untwisting of the torsion bar forces the end of the lever up wardly to maintain contact with the follower. This twisting and untwisting of the torsion bar moves the upwardly directed finger elements in such a manner so as to apply and thence r elieve pressure on the binder in timed sequence with the picking cycle. It is a specific object of the invention to provide a positive means for first applying and then relieving pressure on a binder in timed relation to the shuttle-picking cycle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the loom s pitman'and the means fixed thereto for pivoting the lever extending from the torsion bar.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view and partially in section showing the torsion bar according to the invention and the finger elements for applying and relieving binder pressure fixed thereon, and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view similar to that of FIG. 2 but showing further detail of the looms shuttle box.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Now referring to the drawing, FIG. 1 illustrates the parts of a loom which function in conjunction with the invention and includes a crankshaft 10, a crank arm or pitman II that provides the usual connection between said crankshaft and the swords one of which is shown at I2.

A lay beam I3 is supported in the conventional manner by the loom swords and by means of the pitman Ill the lay is swung to and fro in a well-known manner for beating tfpthe filling after it has been inserted into the shed of the fabric.

As shown in FIG. 3, a binder I4 forms the forward wall of the looms shuttle box which also includes a back box plate 15 and a back box plate extension 16.

The loom s lay end that is attached to the end of the lay and which forms the lower surface of the shuttle box is shown at 17. The back box plate 15 is fixedly positioned by any suitable means to the lay end and forms the backwall of the shuttle box. The binder I4 forms the forward wall of the shuttle box and is loosely attached to the lay end by means of bolts 18 and 19 (FIG. 3).

A cross section of the binder reveals: it to be generally L- shaped and bolts I8 and 19 extend through slots 20 and 21 (FIG. 3) provided in the foot portion of the binder. These bolts assemble in threaded holes in the lay end I7 and are locked in position by means of check nuts 22 (one only shown in FIG. 2). The binder is slidable on the lay end within the limits of slots 20 and 21. Additionally bolts 18 and I9 are'provided immediately beneath the heads thereof with lipped slide collars 23 and 24 respectively which serve to prevent any possible upward movement of the binder.

The means for applying pressure to the binder 14 to arrest a shuttle'25 as it enters the box and to relieve this pressure as the shuttle leaves said box, as set forth by the invention, comprises a torsion bar 26. This torsion bar is disposed beneath the shuttle box and extends in a direction longitudinal therewith. One end of the torsion bar 26 is journaled in an aperture 27 provided in a support block 28 that is situated adjacent the outer end of the lay. In spaced relation to the support clock 28 the torsion bar 26 is further supported by a pair of spaced bearing block members 29 and 30 which are attached to the underside of the lay by means of bolts 31 and 32 respectively.

Immediately adjacent to the support block 28 the torsion bar 26 has an upwardly directed arcuated finger element 33 fixedly assembled thereon by means of a pair of screws 34. The upper end of this finger element is identified by numeral 35 and is disposed so as to contact a wear plate 36 that forms the outer end of the binder 14. A similar finger element 37 is fixedly assembled, by means of screws 38, on the torsion bar 26 intermediate the bearing block members 29 and 30.

This finger element also extends in a generally upward direction and the upper end thereof which is identified by numeral 39 is adapted to engage the side of an extension 40 which is attached to the inner end of the binder by means of screws 41 (FIG. 3).

A torsion bar lever 42 having an integrally formed hub 43 has said hub fixed on the torsion bar 26 by means of screws 44. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 this torsion bar lever extends downwardly for a portion of its length thence rearwardly and the end thereof is disposed in a position below and adjacent to the side of the forward portion of the pitman Ill.

The side of the pitman adjacent its forward end has adjustably attached thereto, by means of a capscrew 45, a depending follower support bracket 46 (FIG. II). A lever follower 47 is rotatably supported by means of a pin 48 to the lower side of the lever support bracket 46 and is positioned so as to maintain contact with the upper surface of the torsion bar lever 42 as shown in FIG. I.

In operation the lay beam is swung to and fro in a wellknown manner by means of the pitman 11 and its connection with the looms crankshaft l0 and sword 12. As the forward portion of the pitman pivots, upwardly and downwardly the lever follower 47 is caused to move the end of the torsion bar lever 42 in a like manner.

When the torsion bar lever is forced downwardly, it causes the torsion bar to twist in the direction of the indicating arrow 49 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. This motion effects the finger elements 33 and 37 so as to apply pressure on the binder when the shuttle 25 is caused to enter the shuttle box.

When the support bracket and follower move upwardly with the pitman, the tendency for the torsion bar to untwist causes the finger elements to pivot away from the binder thereby relieving the pressure thereon to allow the shuttle to leave the box unrestricted. This untwisting of the torsion bar causes the end of the torsion bar lever to pivot upwardly to maintain con tinued contact with the lever follower 47.

A further advantage of the novel and positive means for applying and relieving the pressure on a shuttle box binder, is that of the noted reduction in wear of the looms picker and the various components of the pick motion.

We claim:

1. In a fly shuttle loom having a shuttle, a lay beam, a shuttle box and binder forming the end of said lay beam, swords on which said beam is rockable and a crank and pitman for oscillating the beam, means for applying a biasing motion to the binder at said shuttle box for moving it into a position to arrest said shuttle as the latter enters the box which comprises a. a bar member, b. first and second spaced finger elements mounted on said bar and engageable with said binder, c. a cam lever fixed to said bar member and operable when actuated to cause a biasing force on said binder, and d. a cam roller journaled on the pitman and engaged with said cam lever for causing the motion of the pitman to be transmitted to said cam lever for effecting timed application and release of the pressure applied to the binder by the finger elements during the receiving and picking of a shuttle from said shuttle box. 

1. In a fly shuttle loom having a shuttle, a lay beam, a shuttle box and binder forming the end of said lay beam, swords on which said beam is rockable and a crank and pitman for oscillating the beam, means for applying a biasing motion to the binder at said shuttle box for moving it into a position to arrest said shuttle as the latter enters the box which comprises a. a bar member, b. first and second spaced finger elements mounted on said bar and engageable with said binder, c. a cam lever fixed to said bar member and operable when actuated to cause a biasing force on said binder, and d. a cam roller journaled on the pitman and engaged with said cam lever for causing the motion of the pitman to be transmitted to said cam lever for effecting timed application and release of the pressure applied to the binder by the finger elements during the receiving and picking of a shuttle from said shuttle box. 